Silver price advances as Thursday’s North American session begins, up by 0.07% after printing gains of over 0.50% on Wednesday, courtesy of weaker-than-expected data that pushed precious metals higher. At the time of writing, XAG/USD is trading at $37.90, which is below the $38.00 figure.
Silver is upward biased even though the precious metal dipped to a weekly low of $37.50 before stabilizing above $37.85. Momentum-wise, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) is upwardly biased, indicating that buyers are in control.
That said, if XAG/USD climbs past $38.00, this clears the path for further gains. The next resistance would be the $38.50 figure, followed by the year-to-date (YTD) high of $39.12, ahead of $39.50 and $40.00.
Conversely, if Silver slides below $37.00, sellers could drive prices toward the 20-day SMA at $36.78, before testing the $36.00 figure.
Silver is a precious metal highly traded among investors. It has been historically used as a store of value and a medium of exchange. Although less popular than Gold, traders may turn to Silver to diversify their investment portfolio, for its intrinsic value or as a potential hedge during high-inflation periods. Investors can buy physical Silver, in coins or in bars, or trade it through vehicles such as Exchange Traded Funds, which track its price on international markets.
Silver prices can move due to a wide range of factors. Geopolitical instability or fears of a deep recession can make Silver price escalate due to its safe-haven status, although to a lesser extent than Gold's. As a yieldless asset, Silver tends to rise with lower interest rates. Its moves also depend on how the US Dollar (USD) behaves as the asset is priced in dollars (XAG/USD). A strong Dollar tends to keep the price of Silver at bay, whereas a weaker Dollar is likely to propel prices up. Other factors such as investment demand, mining supply – Silver is much more abundant than Gold – and recycling rates can also affect prices.
Silver is widely used in industry, particularly in sectors such as electronics or solar energy, as it has one of the highest electric conductivity of all metals – more than Copper and Gold. A surge in demand can increase prices, while a decline tends to lower them. Dynamics in the US, Chinese and Indian economies can also contribute to price swings: for the US and particularly China, their big industrial sectors use Silver in various processes; in India, consumers’ demand for the precious metal for jewellery also plays a key role in setting prices.
Silver prices tend to follow Gold's moves. When Gold prices rise, Silver typically follows suit, as their status as safe-haven assets is similar. The Gold/Silver ratio, which shows the number of ounces of Silver needed to equal the value of one ounce of Gold, may help to determine the relative valuation between both metals. Some investors may consider a high ratio as an indicator that Silver is undervalued, or Gold is overvalued. On the contrary, a low ratio might suggest that Gold is undervalued relative to Silver.